“150 Delegates At Confab Are People Who Destroy Nigeria” Gani Adams

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Friday, May 2nd, 2014

Ayo Balogun, Lagos

A Member of the national Conference and the National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams says that 150 delegates at the ongoing National Conference do not believe in the country’s liberation and are the ones who destroy the nation’s entity.

Ganiyu Adams

Adams spoke at his 44th Birthday celebration held in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, which also had in attendance the First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Patience Jonathan who was represented by the Senior Special Assistance to President on Youths and Student matters, Mr. Jude Imagwe, Special Adviser to Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state, Chief Shina Williams, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi represented by Bashorun Akinade and others.

The OPC leader, while speaking on the possible outcome of the National Conference, said “I think that the conference will achieve its purpose if those we have there are ready.”

According to him, “I can tell you categorically that out of 497 delegates at the conference, 150 members of that conference are the people who destroyed this country including the delegates from the Yoruba land.”

He added: “We have 150 people who have benefited from the system. They don’t believe that we should liberate this country. They don’t believe that the statues quo should change. They don’t believe that we must devote power to the federating units. They don’t believe that we should have a weak centre and strong federating units. Most of them benefited from the centre.

“Whenever they see us agitating for the liberation of Nigeria, they aren’t convenient at all. If we don’t allow the federating units, even if we want to allow federating units by state, we haven’t solved the issue. Each zone must operate based on their identity. When they said that the power should devote to the state in Yoruba land, you didn’t call for the unity in Yoruba land, when there is no unity in Yoruba land, it will not be easy for the federal government to coordinate peace in Yoruba land.”

According to Adams, “It will be highly suicidal if they don’t allow it. That means that if they don’t allow a federating unit to govern and develop at their own pace, we are wasting time in the conference. The reason for the conference is to restructure the country.

“About 90 percents of the delegates who are at the conference didn’t believe in the conference. They didn’t agitate or support the conference. They were there as a stumbling block for change. And that is what is happening.

“In the national security committee which I am one of them, can you imagine some of the committee members are agitating that we should not allow state police. Nigerians aren’t ready to learn lesson. Look at what is happening in Maiduguri, if we have a state police, something like that will not happen.”

He said he was not part of that sub-committee formed from the committee, but that when it is presented at the National affairs, he would criticize it, saying that he is at the conference for restructuring the country.

Adams stated that he was in support of the idea that power should be devoted to the federating units.

“We emulate this system from the United State of America, but they have different police to provide security in their country. Why are we running away from the issue of state police? Why are we having the impression that the governor will misuse the opportunity? Are we saying that the Federal Government isn’t misusing the federal police?

“Why should we run a system without implementing it. Nigeria is a country that changes things from the people they borrow it from. If they don’t allow restructuring, everything we do in that conference is a waste of time,” Adams said.